Internal combustion engine



Nov, 1,;"31

C. Rf. MINER AI'IITERNAL' COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Jan. 23. l1930 gnam/nto@ C, F? Minier, Y

'y 35, engine cylind Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITE PATENT ormoniv 1 CHARLES Ii- MINER, or sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFoItNIAyAssIeNon-or CNE-FOURTH 'ro .MIKE TAMBCR AND CNN-FOURTH rosIMEoNPoWELL, BOTH or sAN FRANCISCO, -L

CALIFORNIA V:nv'rnnNALr CoMBUs'rIoN ENGINE The invention relates to vin ternal combustion engines, and more particularly to a sys-l tem wherein two gasexplosions are produced 1n a single piston stroke.

Y Inlordinary operation of an internal-combustion engine gasoline oroil is Converted into gas which is compressed at-one end of the piston stroke rand while under such compression the gas is ignited by means of a spark plug or other ignition means. The ignition of the gas-creates heat from which is obtained powerby the expansion of the gases under the iniuence of the heat. lThe incorni atmosphere, andis a menace to public health as well as la waste' of a'valuable combustible gas. Y*

the exhaust pipe, by producing substantially 2 complete combustion within theengine cylindersr This is accomplished according to the present inventionby producing a second ignition of the gases within the cylinder' and a second expansion of said gases on the same stroke of the piston as 4the first ignition, and

before the commencement of the scavenging y stroke. To accomplish this it is necessary to provide means, forsupplylng auxiliary air, andin]- ecting it at the right time into the ing a spark.

The invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of the principles of the invention. In the draw- Fig. 1 is a view partly in section through an engine cylinder and partly in diagrammatic elevation showing'the timer and sys- 4 tem for-supplying compressedair; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the fitting through which compressed Vair is supplied 'to the engine cylinder. As shown, the reference numeral 10 denotes a water j acketed'cylinder which may be of any er,`and at the same time producf the driving shaft well known or standard con-struction. With- 1n thecylinder is a piston 11 which is like- `'wise of standard construction, and extending yinto the upper portion of the' cylinder isa spa-rk plug `12. r1`he numeral 18 ldenotes the 55 expansion chamber located above the piston,

vand into which extends-the spark plug 12.

Communicating with the expansionV chamber l are intake'and exhaust valves 1liL and 15 lead- `lng respectively to the intakemanifold and to the exhaust manifold. VThe above features are orV `may be of any well known 4Vstandard construction.

According to my invention, means are pro videdfor supplying air .underpre'ssure to 65 the expansion *chamber 13 at a timeV shortly after the beginning of the expansion stroke. As shown,a fitting 16 is screwed into the wall of the cylinder 10, such fitting being provided with a taperednozzle or jet 17 which narp rows to a small outlet communicating with a Thepresent invention aims tov reduce thequantity of carbon monoxide delivered from onthe side of the pipe 29.

I have provided a means for supplying compressed Vair to the fitting and 'controlling such supply from the ydashboard of the vehicle." As shown, the source of pressure is an air pump 2O which may be operated from of thevehicle or in any suitable manner. This pump communicates throughk pipe 21, non-return check valve22 and pipe 23 with a pressure reservoir ,2liI designed. to equalize the pressure supplied to the cylinder. Leading from this reservoir is a pipe 25 in which is located a valve 26 manually controlled'by means of a rod 27 operable from the dash board of the vehicle. From the valve 26a pipe 27 leads to a drain box 28, preferably of large proportions, from which pipe 29 leads to a fitting 30 within which is mounted the flap valve 19 previousexpansion chamber 13. The use of the man- ...this-will. settle .in thev bottom. of. the-drain. box

28,-` which. Aisthe lowest y part J 'f, the..` system'. The tankis accordingly'provided with suitable means, not shown, such..,as.ar drain cock,. for periodically withdrawing the water which' 1 H deslredthetimer 'arms 36 and 37 may be accumulates in the bottom of the tank. It is necessary to provide means for producing a'psecondspark. or ignition. at a suit- `able period atterthe' first ignition.v For this f purposelprovide a suitable timing or'igni- 4tion mechanism generally designatedrby the reference numeral 31. .The numeral 32' denotes any suitable source ot electrical'power fand the wire 33 leadstherefrom to the spark pluglQ, a suitable transformerv 38 and conj Vdenser 390i conventional form, or other wellknown sparkprodueing devices being inter- Yposed between the source otV power and the spark plug. The timer 8l is provided withla suitable contactl point 34C which vmay be grounded as at 34. lThe `featuresof. the 'timer'hereinabove'described are orV may be vof standard construction. For accomplish- 'ing' the"`dual ignition; however, I have. pro- 'Y videda Contact armv `35 having branches` 36 4a`nd'13?" designed to successively contact. with thepeint 34 at shortintervals.

f The operation of' thel device will be .readily understood '"f'romf the above description. Be-

ginning'attheexpansionstroke of'therpiston', ignition takesgpl'ace on the contact of arm :36 with pointf, thus producing the'usual explosion. `When the piston has 'moved' to thepositiony shown in the=drawing, the second contact arm 37 reaches thev point', and at the same instant the passage 1811s:- uncovered,

Prmitting `compressed airto enterfthe eX- pansion chamberfl.y rIfhisproduces a second explosion which materially reduces-the 'pro- -portienfof carbon-monoxidepin the gaseswith-v in the cylinder, and furthermore produces .V--a'dditional power by the burning'or combus- -itionof such carbon monoxide or other'gases `--whichn-iay nothave been thoroughly. burned at the rst ignition. -r l The Vauxiliary air admitted through `the passage 18 also assists in the scavenging opj eration during they scavenging stroke. Obviously no'back, pressure can :passthe lvalve 19 `which immediately closes-on the building upv of excess pressure on the engine side of' sal'dvallve. ft 1t :is desiredto out oiil the supply of compressed air and to operate the fdevice'in the ordinary manner, this may be readilyaccomplished by closing'thefvalve "26 by means of the rod- 27 operable-from the dash.- ,Y I

ous carbon monoxide than in ordinary prac- 7o tice,y and kthus contamination of the-atmosphere is materially reduced.

The. invention has been described in detail for thepurpose of illustration, but it will be evident that the details arefor the purpose of illustration, and are not'to beconstrued by way of llimitation of the scopeotthe invention.

made relatively adjustable to control the perioni-between ignitions. i

" *.'What :[cl'aim.is:V Y f l 1.11m combinationwith an internalV combustion engine, means;for producing a dual explosion` during/a single.` piston stroke, said.; S5

means including ja suitable ignition device, a timer'having an additional.IarmforproducingtFa/spark at aA suitable,intervalv after the first explosiomand means for supplying .compressed auxiliary air to. the cylinders@ simultaneously with'thefsecond ignition, the meansjfor supplying compressedaircomprising-a pump,` a compressed Hair. reservoir for: rece1vingair fromVv the p-pump, a check -valveflocated` between theV pump and1 reser-fi Voir, a drain tankbeyond the saidi reservoir,

Y amannally operatedfvalve. in the'passage'. be-

tweenthe draintank and. reservoir, `a passage lleading from the drain tank to the cylinder,

a= one-'way flap .valve in` said passagertopre-@JOQ vent return of pressure from the cylinder, a fitting having a jet nozzle thereininter posed. between thelap valve vand the cylinfderya-nd" a relati-vely reducedpassage through .the cylinder wall- `between said ,tit-

ting and the interior of the cylinder.

2. `In combination' with.. an internal com- `.bustion engine, means for .producing :adual explosion duringa single fpiston stroke, 'in c cluding'means'for producing twoignitionsgat -5110 timedintervals, land means .for supplying compressed auxiliary air to the cylinder during the second ignition, saidmeans for ad- ;mitting compressedair including apump, a reservoina passage leading from thereser- 1.115 voir to the cylinder, a one-way valvein .the lpassage to prevent return .of pressure yfrom the' cylinder, a fitting. having a jet' .nozzle therein, interposed between the valve .and

thecylinder, and avrelatively reducedpas-- .120

sage through the cylinder wall between said fitting and theinterior of the cylinder.

3. In combination with an internal combustion'engine, lincluding a cylinder, a V.pis-

ton working therein, intake and vexhaust valves, and an ignition device adapted to :produce 'af dualignitionduringy a single plston stroke, means for supplying` auxiliary` air to the cylinder under` pressure as soon as l.theuinlet is. uncovered,"bythepiston, Said 13u means including a pump, a reservoir for receiving air from the pump, a passage leading from the reservoir to the cylinder, 'a one-way valve in said passage to prevent return of pressure fromv the cylinder, a fitting having a jet nozzle therein, interposed between the iap valve and the cylinder, and a relatively reduced passage through the cylinder wall between said fitting and the interior of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

1 CHARLES R. MINER. 

